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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pound — a weight
  3. craft — a skill
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. club — for dancing
  7. craft — boats
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. capital — a city
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. board — a committee
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. capital — money
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. board — to get on
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. charge — in control
  20. club — a group
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. charge — electricity
  23. club — for golf
  24. charge — a price

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com